Chocolate and Milk
by ai no monogatari
Summary: The only job that Armin can get is working at a Maid Cafe. There he meets old friends and has new adventures. SnK Aruani crack. AU
1. Chapter 1

Here comes a crack fic using the paring Aruani from SnK (slight Eremin) AU

E.N.J.O.Y

* * *

Armin was worried. No. He was terrified. Out of everyone, out of all his friends, he was the only one who still didn't have a job.

"Of course, I'm not good at anything!" He sobbed.

Ever since high school graduation, everyone in his class had been able to support themselves financially, getting some impressive jobs. He begged Eren to let him stay in his apartment until he found his own place, but this was only temporary. Time was passing by quickly and Armin was still on the job hunt…with no luck. He couldn't stay with his best friend forever. He had to do something.

"Eren, what am I going to do?" he asked one day, slumping on the couch.

"You still don't have a job?" Eren looked up from his meal, not expecting such a topic to arise.

"No."

Usually Armin was able to solve his own problems, and fairly quickly too. This time, however, was clearly different. Eren noticed that his friend was getting more and more depressed as the weeks went on.

"How many applications have you filled out?" Eren asked.

"I've lost count." Armin buried his face into his hands.

Eren wasn't known for his thinking skills, unlike Armin. He wasn't sure how he could pull him out of this one. What was the ideal job for Armin anyway?

Eren glanced at the newspaper that was lying beside him on the table. He casually rolled his eyes up and down the job section.

"Hmm…none of those."

Suddenly, his eyes caught something. Upon seeing it, his first reaction was "Perfect!" But after realizing his own thought process, he became a bit embarrassed. Did he really just picture his best friend working in a place like that? Perhaps it wasn't appropriate…no, it WAS appropriate!

"Hey, Armin, look at this."

Armin lifted his face, looking at Eren from the couch, "What?" He walked over to the table and looked down to where Eren was pointing.

Suddenly, Armin's heart skipped a beat, "Uh…a-a MAID CAFE?!" he yelled. Armin stepped away from his friend, feeling embarrassed. "NO! NO! NO!"

"You said you needed a job, didn't you?!" Eren protested.

"Y-Yes, but…there? Besides, I'm a GUY!" Armin was flustered.

"No way! You could definitely pull it off. Just ask for the job. Once you're in costume, nobody will know -that you're a guy, I mean."

Armin wasn't sure what to be more shocked at. The fact that his friend just suggested he should work at a maid cafe, or the fact that he just suggested that he might look like a girl. Perhaps both were one and the same…

"Eren… I-I-"

Armin held his head between his hands. He knew he was somewhat "feminine", but he didn't think it was that bad. What he was mostly worried about was how weak he was. When he and Eren were in school, during gym class, he would always fall behind and Eren would have to help him. Everyone would laugh, even the girls, so Armin never had a girlfriend. Although, he never had any trouble with his other classes. Homework and tests were easy; that was when Eren needed his help.

Eren had always been his best friend. Never once did Eren ever laugh at Armin when he fell down or wasn't strong enough. And Armin never looked down on Eren for not being as smart as him. They were the perfect pair.

"Don't worry. I just want you to be able to support yourself. Whatever happens, I'll stick with you. I'll support you 100%." Eren patted his friend on the back.

"Thank you, Eren. Um, I'll think about it. If nothing else comes around…maybe."

Armin thought long and hard about Eren's suggestion.

Working at a maid cafe? Would it really work?

Truthfully, he was desperate. But he would have to sleep on it.

If nothing else...


	2. Chapter 2

Armin stared at the glistening golden doors placed in front of him.

He was really doing to do this.

A large bearded man thrust the sliding doors open. Armin jumped, clutching his arm.

"Are you Armin Arlert?" the man huffed.

Armin nodded.

The man stared at him for a long moment, "Hmm, you look good enough." He swung his arm, signaling for Armin to enter the cafe.

"How old are you?"

"J-Just graduated, sir."

"Any experience?"

"No."

"Will you wear a dress?"

Armin gulped, "Y-Y-Yes." He felt beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

"Okay, you're hired. Show up tomorrow at 6 am sharp or don't come at all." With that, Armin was pushed out with doors slamming behind him. Armin rushed immediately home. It didn't matter what it was, as long as he had some kind of job, he was happy!

"I got a job, Eren!"

"I knew you could do it!" Eren was just as happy for his friend.

"I'm going to get my own place, and take care of myself, and…"

"And look so cute for all the old perverts to drool over your little dress." Eren cut him off.

Armin paused, "Don't say it like that."

"It's true though."

Armin shook his head.

"Heh," Eren laughed, "It's kind of weird, you know? Living with another dude, who's gonna dress up like a chick."

"You're strange, Eren." Armin commented, "And don't talk like that. I'm just doing it for the money."

"I know, I know." Eren shrugged, "But still…"

"What?"

"Should we share a room now?" Eren teased.

Armin shook his head, "No! I'm going to bed. I need my rest for tomorrow. Goodnight, Eren."

"Goodnight, Armin."

Eren giggled when he knew Armin couldn't hear him.

Armin…worked at a maid cafe.

6 am sharp. Armin stood in front of the sliding doors that gated the cafe once again.

_I hope they remember me_. Armin pleaded in his mind that he would be able to enter again today, and possibly exit with some cash.

The same burly man stomped over to where Armin was.

"You that kid from yesterday?"

Armin nodded, "Yes, sir!" He wanted to sound confident.

"Okay, follow me."

They entered the cafe again. It looked almost the same as yesterday, except this time it was completely empty. Everyone was getting ready for opening time.

The burly man led Armin towards the back of the store. They went through the kitchen. In the very back lay a small supply closet.

"You'll find your uniform in there. Wear it every day. Get it washed. And don't ruin it, those things cost a fortune."

Armin walked into the supply closet, shutting the door behind him. He pulled on the dangling cord, clicking on the light. Inside the closet were dozens of frilly maid uniforms. Some were black, some were white and a few were other colors. But they were all very cute.

_Yeah, for a GIRL_, thought Armin.

He sighed, and began to undress.

If he was ever going to make something of himself, he was going to have to start somewhere.

Just his luck, the only uniform that fit him was pink. Since Armin had never worn a dress before, the fit felt kind of uncomfortable. Although the dress was his size, he was used to having something cover his legs. So on bottom, he felt naked. The only things covering his legs were the high lace stockings that had come with the uniform. Only the top of his legs were visible. How cute.

Armin walked out of the closet. There was a mirror not far away.

He really did look like a girl.

Eren was right…If he didn't know himself, he might have fallen in love.

"You there! Get to work! And next time, don't take so long!" the burly man bellowed in Armin's direction.

Armin jumped, "Yes, sir! Sorry, sir!" He quickly ran through the kitchen and into the serving area.

"You will wait these tables." The man handed him a list. "And don't screw up."

"Yes, sir!"

Armin spotted the first customer.

He knew how this was supposed to work. Walking towards the front entrance, he said, "Welcome home, Master." Armin smiled as pleasantly as possible.

The customer was a tall, skinny man with a surprisingly large belly. He had two other friends who varied in size. The group smiled and then snickered at Armin.

_D-Do they know…?_ Armin wondered.

Perhaps he really wasn't feminine enough. Or maybe there was something about him that just gave it away.

Armin led the group to the nearest table and offered them towels. When he tried to offer them menus, they refused.

"No, thank you. We're just here for the view." One of them winked at Armin.

Armin cringed. Maybe they didn't know after all…

"Baw! Stop it! You're scaring the little lady!" one of his friends teased.

The group started laughing all at once.

"Coffee, not too sweet." one finally spoke.

Armin scribbled down the order and made his way to the kitchen. The group continued to snicker as he left.

When he entered the kitchen he saw something even more disturbing than the perverted group of boys. It was a certain blonde that he recognised from a long time ago.

Annie was standing in the kitchen, and she was wearing a uniform too.


	3. Chapter 3

"Annie?!" Armin quietly shouted, "What are you doing here?"

Annie looked up from what she was doing, stopped mid-way mixing flour into some kind of pastry. She didn't recognize the blonde standing next to her.

"Do I know you?" she questioned.

Armin was stunned.

_S-She doesn't remember me?!_

"B-But Annie, don't you remember? It's me! Armin! We went to class together!"

_Armin?_ Annie thought. _He's…dressed like a girl?_

Annie stood for a moment in complete silence. No wonder she didn't recognize him. The Armin she knew was male.

"Armin?" she said.

"You do remember!" Armin cheered.

Annie scanned the small boy up and down, "Armin, why are you dressed like that?"

Suddenly, Armin felt embarrassed. He didn't expect to be seen by someone he knew. If that were the case he might have turned down Eren's suggestion.

"I-I couldn't find a job…!" Armin suddenly realized how stupid he sounded.

To change the subject, he resurfaced his question, "Annie, why are you here?"

Annie lowered her stare. She wished she could say something like, "I've always loved working in maid cafes", but that was polar opposite to the real situation. She hated this. It was even more dreadful now that she knew Armin was here and watching her.

"I couldn't find a job either." she confessed.

"Really?" Armin felt sympathetic. Knowing Annie, it might have been hard for her too. "I-I don't think less of you, Annie," said Armin, "For doing this."

Annie, the tough blond, had always given off a cold, hard exterior and even dressed the part. In school, nobody wanted to talk to her because they were too afraid. However, Armin sometimes caught her staring at him for whatever reason. Seeing her in a maid's uniform seemed very off-key to what he was used to seeing.

"We should get back to work before we get yelled at. You've probably met our beast of a manager already." Annie began on her project again,

Armin nodded, "He wasn't very nice."

Annie scoffed, "He's just an ass. You'll get over it soon."

"But, Annie," Armin poured the beans into the coffee maker to be ground, "You're nice to me, right?"

Annie paused. She was quiet for a while, "Yeah. Just do your job." she whispered.

Armin smiled and began making the coffee. Maybe working with Annie wouldn't be so bad. Armin could hardly say that in school they were 'friends.' They were more like distant acquaintances. Now that they had the same job, maybe they could really be friends.

Armin carried the tray of coffee out to the customers. Annie had generously placed cream and sugar on the tray before Armin walked out of the kitchen in case he 'needed' it. He wasn't sure what that meant. The man had said he didn't want his coffee too sweet.

Armin placed the tray on the table.

"Took you long enough." one of them complained.

"Sorry!" Armin apologized.

"Hey, it's alright, Sweetie," One of the men slung his arm around Armin's waist, "We all make mistakes sometimes."

Armin screamed as the man pulled him closer onto his lap.

"Let go of me!" Armin shouted.

"Hey! You're here to do your job. Now do it!" the man yelled.

"I would let him go if I were you…"

Armin heard Annie's voice from across the room. The three men looked up, startled. Annie leaned against the wall with her classic cold glare. It frightened the pants off of the three men sitting at the table.

"D-Did you say…him?" one of the men questioned.

"You know it's against the rules to place your hands on any of the maids." Annie said, coldly.

Before anyone could respond, Annie was already at the table. She slapped the man's hand away from Armin's waist. Armin tumbled down onto the floor next to Annie's feet with the tray. The mugs of coffee, the cream and sugar, were all over Armin.

"Ouch!" he squealed in pain when the hot liquid touched his skin.

"Hey!" one of the men shouted, "You can't do that!"

"But I just did." Annie responded, mockingly.

The three men, frightened, quickly hauled themselves out of the cafe.

"Crazy chick!" one of them shouted as he bounded through the sliding doors.

Suddenly, the manager realized that three of his customers had left without paying.

"Hey!" he shouted, running into the front lobby, "Who's responsible for this?" He glared at his two workers, one on the floor covered in coffee and one standing up.

"I am, Sir." Annie spoke up.

Armin was flustered, "No! I am, Sir! Please don't punish her! It's all my fault!"

"Oh," the man said, "In that case you'll BOTH be working overtime tonight! That bill is coming out of your paychecks!"

With that, the manager stomped back to his quarters, slamming the door, leaving both Annie and Armin alone to tend the cafe.


	4. Chapter 4

Working overtime with Annie.

After the incident, Armin cleaned himself up and changed. The rest of the day was 'normal' compared to what had happened, but it became too awkward for Annie or Armin and they could not find the heart to talk to each other again.

For the first thirty minutes, they were both quiet. With no more customers to distract themselves with, the cafe was deathly silent. Their only option was to socialize with each other.

It only made it more awkward that they blamed themselves for what happened.

"Armin," Annie spoke up.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry you had to see that."

Armin kept his gaze low. "It's okay. But, I should thank you for saving me." He paused, "Has anything like this ever happened to you, Annie?"

"No. But I would probably just kick them in the face."

Armin let out a small laugh. Yes, he could definitely picture Annie doing that to the wary, unknowing customer.

Armin scrubbed the grimy floors that had collected the day's waste. He thought carefully about what he wanted to say next.

"Annie," he whispered, "I've always thought that you were pretty."

It was quiet.

"That's kind of off topic," Annie responded after a few awkward seconds later.

"I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that." Suddenly he regretted his words. "What were we talking about again?"

Armin had surprised himself. Usually he knew exactly what to say and always knew what was happening around him, but this time was different. He wasn't sure why.

Annie noticed, "Armin, are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine. I just…" Armin felt beads of sweat on his forehead.

Annie quickly leaned over and planted a small peck on Armin's cheek, "There," she said, "Are you better now?"

Armin flushed a deep shade of red. It was amusing to Annie. She wondered if she should kiss him again.

"You look kind of pretty in that costume too, Armin."

He wondered if that was supposed to be a compliment. Whatever, he took it as one.

"Thank you, I think." He smiled, still blushing red.

Annie leaned over again, but this time, she stopped inches away from Armin's face. Their eyes were locked. Armin could feel the blood rushing to his head. He felt like Annie was staring right into his soul. She had never done this before.

"Armin," she asked, "Where are you staying?"

"I live with Eren in our apartment. It's just a couple of blocks from here. Why?"

Annie didn't say why. Armin blushed even harder when she lifted her hand to stroke his cheek. Her hands were rough from a hard day's work, but also surprisingly dainty. Annie was on the petite side.

"Can I stay with you tonight, Armin?"

Suddenly, joy flooded Armin's eyes, "Yes! I'm sure it would be okay with Eren. He wouldn't mind. You remember him, don't you?"

"Yes," Annie stared at the ground.

Eren, the hothead who always got his butt kicked. She remembered.

Armin quickly finished the last of the day's work. He wasn't expecting company for the evening -hopefully Eren had cleaned up a bit- but he was happy that he could have a guest over. Armin's innocent state of mind kept him from realizing Annie's true intentions.

Eren finished the last of his dinner, alone. He stared at the clock. It was already past six. "Armin's really late today. I wonder what he's up to."

Suddenly, a light knock came at the door. Eren recognized it. He quickly went to the door and opened it, "Armin! What took you so long-? Whoa…Well, hello there." Eren said, as majestically as possible.

"Hello, Eren." Annie replied, with great sarcasm.

Annie had changed into her normal clothes after her shift was over. She wore skinny jeans with a leather jacket and lots of gunmetal-looking accessories. Armin simply wore his usual collared shirt and trousers. They looked very strange walking down the street together.

"Eren!" Armin walked into the apartment with his guest, "Sorry, I couldn't tell you earlier, but Annie is going to stay with us tonight!"

"Is that a fact?" Eren said, adjusting his shirt collar. "Well, in that case, she can stay in my room."

Annie shot Eren a menacing glare. "You pervert. I'll kill you."

Eren raised his hands in the air. "Just joking! Try to have a bit of fun, will you?"

Annie huffed and sat on the couch. She was tired after a long day at work and she didn't want to deal with any more disgusting men.

Eren sighed. "Alright, Annie. You win. If you don't want to sleep with me, you can sleep with Armin instead."

Armin became incredibly flustered and started to panic. "N-N-N-Not that w-w-w-wouldn't be…"

Annie grumbled. "Would you two shut up? Where's the bathroom around here?"

"That way," Eren pointed down a narrow hallway.

Annie quickly got up and walked to the bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

When he was sure she was gone, Eren leaned over towards Armin.

"Nice going, man! Bringing home a hot girl like her! High five!"

"What are you talking about, Eren?" Armin said, the blush on his cheeks finally starting to fade. "She's the one who asked me if she could stay, not the other way around."

Eren blinked. "Oh. Well, in that case, double high five! She's crazy for you, man!"

Armin shook his head. "No, I think there's something else going on, Eren. I think she can't go home. When she asked me, she looked really desperate."

Eren only shrugged. "All the more reason to assume she digs you."

"No, I think it's something else."

Annie stood in the dingy apartment bathroom and stared into the mirror. She hated her face. But she hated it even more when she wasn't wearing any makeup.

"I'm hideous." she spat, and continued to wash her face.

She would have to take it all off before bed anyway.

Annie thought for a moment about why she was here. She wasn't here to get some hot chick-flick style night out with Armin (although that would be nice). She was here for a very different reason. She couldn't go home. She never could. It wasn't even her home anymore.

Annie slowly stepped out of the bathroom.

The house was dark and quiet. Eren and Armin had already gone to sleep. She planned on just sleeping on the couch, but where was the couch? It was too dark to see and the front room was quite a ways from where she was. She could only guess where she was going.

Annie walked forward until she felt something soft and pillow-like in front of her. Exhausted, Annie collapsed onto the soft surface and fell asleep.

A mystery person moaned and rolled over. Annie had accidentally fallen onto a bed, but was already asleep, so there was no way she could to know.


	5. Chapter 5

Sunlight poured through the window, hitting Annie right in the face.

It was morning and she needed to get up. She had to go to work or she would be fired on the spot. Annie reached towards her left in hopes of finding her comb, which was usually on her dresser. Last night was a distant memory. But she couldn't find her comb, or the dresser. Instead, she felt someone's warm body sleeping beside her.

She panicked. "What the HELL are you doing in my room?!" Annie flung pillows and other nearby objects at the sleeping figure.

The figure moved, waking up abruptly. It shrieked in surprise and pain, tumbling down towards the floor and landing with a THUMP. That was when Annie realized she wasn't in her bedroom, or her house for that matter. She peered around the room with realization as to how she had got here.

"That's right," she grumbled.

The moaning human on the floor reminded her of what she had just done. She looked down to see a frail blond who was rubbing his head and wondering what was going on.

Crap, I slept in Armin's bed…

Suddenly, the door burst open.

"Who is ready for pancakes?!" Eren stood in the doorway with nothing on but his underwear.

Annie sat up in shock, staring at an almost naked Eren.

"Eren you're not wearing any clothes!" she shouted at him.

Eren looked down at himself. "Oh, oops! I guess I'm used to it being just Armin and me." Then he looked at the floor. "Armin, why are you sleeping down there?"

"I don't know. My head hurts." Armin rubbed his scalp.

"Oh, well, come on into the kitchen if you want some breakfast. Annie, you're welcome to join us." With that, Eren shut the door and walked away.

"Um, Annie," Armin whispered, standing up, "C-Could you please leave the room so I can get dressed?"

Annie looked at Armin. He was wearing his pyjamas. Annie had slept in the shirt she was wearing the previous day. However, her bottom half wasn't covered. Only the bed sheets did concealed her figure at the moment. If she got out of bed and left the room, Armin would see her.

"Okay," she responded, not sure what her next move should be.

Armin waited for her.

"Armin," Annie said, coldly, "Face the wall."

"What?"

"Face the wall!" she shouted.

Armin jumped. "Okay!" He quickly turned around so that he was facing the wall.

After Annie made sure that he wasn't looking, she quickly uncovered herself and ran towards the door. Wondering why she was making him do this, Armin slightly glanced to his side to see what was happening.

Annie caught him mid-run. "DON'T LOOK AT ME!" she yelled, throwing another pillow at him.

"I'M SORRY!" Armin shrieked and hid his face. He wasn't expecting to see her like that. His face turned beet red and he felt his heartbeat go into a rage.

Annie stumbled out of the bedroom in a fury. _Geez, that was embarrassing. What did he see anyway? Crap, I need to get ready for work_…

Since it was daylight now, Annie found the bathroom more quickly this time and jumped in, locking the door. She would wait for Armin to finish, and then go back in to get her clothes.

Breakfast was weird. Just as she planned, when Armin was done, Annie slipped into the bedroom and came back out fully clothed. Everyone had gone into the kitchen to eat, but it appeared as if Eren was the only one not affected by the mood.

"Does Eren usually walk around the house in his underwear?" Annie asked.

Armin spoke up, "Oh, no. Only in the mornings. But sometimes he forgets his underwear."

"Uh huh…" Annie mumbled and ate her breakfast.

There was an awkward moment. The pressure was intolerable, even Eren could sense it now. Deciding to make things easier for everyone, Eren broke the silence.

"So, Annie, what's wrong with your place? It's strange that you chose to stay with us."

"Nothing…I'm just not living there anymore." Annie said, stuffing pancakes into her mouth so she wouldn't have to say anything else.

Eren scratched his chin. "Okay then. If that's all you want to say."

Armin didn't catch the vibe. "Annie, why aren't you living in your house anymore?" he asked.

Annie slammed her fork down and glared at Armin.

"I-I'm sorry. I just wanted to know." Armin pleaded innocently.

There was a long silence. It was just as tense as the first one. The silence was also a little longer.

"I got evicted." Annie finally said.

"Oh…" Armin looked down at his plate, "I'm sorry."

"It's fine, I hated living there anyway." Annie finished eating and headed out the door. "Thanks for letting me stay. I'll see you at work, Armin."

Armin let out a high-pitched "Bye!" before Annie quickly shut the front door.

"Well," Eren said, wiping the corner of his mouth, "She seems like a cheerful young lady."


	6. Chapter 6

The cafe was bustling with customers. To Armin's relief, not every single customer wanted to pat his bottom, kiss him, or make him sit on their lap. There were many different types of people that entered; couples, families, even schoolgirls. It was sometimes felt like he was working in a normal restaurant. However, Armin started to notice a pattern. Whenever the occasional pervert did come in, only Armin got played with, not Annie. It started to bug him.

As they were both in the kitchen making parfaits for the next wave of customers. Armin decided to ask.

"Annie," he asked, "How come whenever someone mean comes in, I'm the only one who gets abused."

Annie looked up at him. '_Mean_?' she wondered. '_That's an interesting choice of words.'_ Of course, Annie knew exactly why nobody dared to touch her; she had a reputation.

"Because if anyone ever tried me I would kick them in the face, Armin." She gave him a cold glare, signaling to Armin that perhaps she was talking about him too.

Armin stared at the floor in fear and embarrassment. "B-But, you wouldn't really do that to anyone. Would you, Annie?"

"Yes." She kept her stare. She was serious.

Suddenly, the pair heard the front entrance burst open. Someone new had come in.

"I'll get it," Annie stopped what she was doing and walked to the front of the cafe.

Armin watched her leave.

"Welcome, Master," Annie said in a not-so-cute voice, while handing the customer some damp towels.

The dude was so large that he had to bend over in order to enter the cafe. Annie, being a petite girl, looked even smaller against him. He had an ugly face and a huge neck the size of a tree stump. He flexed his arms, his huge muscles rolling along his triceps and biceps. Twisting his waist, Annie could spot his ginormous pack pushing against his shirt and making themselves completely obvious.

"Disgusting," she muttered under her breath, making sure no one could hear.

Annie led her customer to a very, very far table. She judged that he would need a lot of room to sit down. She handed him a menu, hoping that he could just pick something quickly and leave.

"I want decadent chocolate cake, green tea castella, Japanese cheesecake and strawberry shortcake. Make that and coffee with cream and sugar (remember to bring it out), hot chocolate- I want that with cream too, and sencha green tea. Also, if you have any omelette rice, I want some of that."

Annie reluctantly scribbled down the order onto her notepad, realizing that she had taken up almost two pages with the one order. She stomped back into the kitchen where Armin was waiting.

"Stop making those parfaits, we have to come up with this huge, shitty order." She flung the list in Armin's direction.

Armin stared at the list in astonishment. "He has a big appetite," he commented, "But, we haven't made any cake today, it's too early. I hope we have some leftover."

Annie flung pots and pans everywhere, scrambling to find a solution. She was frustrated.

"A-Annie, b-be careful…" Armin pleaded, as things flew past him. "W-Why don't you make all the drinks he ordered first, those are easy and we can make them quickly, then we can bring those out to him. While he's distracted, I'll make the cakes, okay?"

"Alright, thank you, Armin." Annie rubbed her scalp. She had a terrible headache for a while now. It probably wasn't going to go away.

Annie carried the tray of coffee, hot chocolate and green tea to the table. She placed the tray on the table and was about to pour the cream and sugar into the coffee when the burly man stopped her.

"Wait," he said, "You're doing it wrong."

"Excuse me?" Annie questioned, raising her brow.

"Kneel down." He pointed to the floor with his index finger. "Aren't maids supposed to kneel by the table when stirring the cream and sugar into the customer's coffee?"

Annie reluctantly keeled. She could feel the fire raging in the pit of her stomach. Stirring the cream and sugar into the drinks, she silently hoped that Armin would hurry up with those cakes.

Finally, after several minutes, Armin came bursting out of the kitchen. He ran towards the table, but stopped when he witnessed the man's size. Suddenly, Armin felt helpless.

"What? Bring me my cake!" the man bellowed.

"S-Sorry!" Armin placed the tray on the table.

The man picked up the fork placed by the cakes and held it in Annie's direction, "Now, feed me." he commanded.

Annie almost choked. Armin pulled out a small notepad from inside of his pocket. He had been trying to keep track of rules and etiquette and this command didn't sound right. "I-I don't think that's a part of…!"

"Yes, it is!" the man hollered, "You with the dreary expression! FEED ME!"

Annie started to hand the fork to Armin.

"No! I want YOU to do it!" The man pointed at Annie.

"Why me?!"

"Because I said so! I'm getting hungry over here!" He slammed his fist on the table.

Annie was almost ready to drop-kick this guy. She would have, except Armin was standing right beside her. She didn't want to cause another scene, plus she didn't want to give Armin a bad impression on her. She was still homeless after all.

Annie pushed the fork into the cake, and then shoved it into the man's ugly face. She held her nose as she did so, he smelled awful. She could even taste the scent. Annie silently hoped that the fork would penetrate his skin and kill him, but unfortunately that did not happen.

Armin stood helplessly as he watched Annie feed the overgrown ape.

He hated watching her work in a place like this, probably as much as she hated working here herself. Armin knew that she would be happier somewhere else and have a better future with great potential. Perhaps she could be a self-defense instructor?

Annie was down to the last bit of cake. All of her confidence and strength sucked out of her like a vacuum. Her shoulders slumped. She looked like a total mess.

"Are you finished now?" Annie scoffed in a horrible voice.

"Yes," the man stated, "Now, I'm feeling stiff. Give me a massage and a cleaning."

Armin was about to pull out his notepad when the man stopped him. "It's in the additional services policy." He snickered.

Annie was ready to kill herself, or at least kill something.

The burly ape-man slumped out of his chair, turning it sideways so the back of the chair didn't block the way to his back and shoulders, and then sat down again. Armin wondered how Annie was supposed to get to the top of him, her being so small and all.

"I'll get a stool from the kitchen." Armin was about to do that, but Annie shot him a glare. "Or… maybe not." He hesitated.

"I'll get it myself." Annie stomped into the kitchen.

While Annie was gone, Armin caught the burly man staring at his thighs. Armin attempted to cover himself while hiding his embarrassment.

"Heh, you're a cute waitress." the man huffed. "But your friend in there is the sexy one." He nodded towards the kitchen.

Armin didn't say anything.

Annie came back out with the stool and threw it in the man's direction. It skid across the floor and stopped right where it needed to.

Annie stood on top of the stool and faced the man's back. He was ginormous. She wasn't sure where she was supposed to start. Then suddenly, something caught her eye. From where she was standing, and from where Armin was standing, Annie had a clear view of the front of Armin's dress. His uniform had a dip in the front, and extra space where the "boobs" were supposed to go, although Armin lacked the parts. As a result, there was empty space there, and Annie could see all the way down.

Annie felt like blushing, but she didn't. She also felt like sticking her hand down there. But Armin would probably flip out. He had such a cute body…

"Annie," Armin called, "Are you okay?" He had caught her staring at him, and she wasn't doing anything else.

Annie shook her head, "I'm fine." Then she remembered she was supposed to be giving five star services to the hairy ape sitting in front of her. Annie rammed her elbow into the man's back. He was so big he probably wouldn't notice anyway.

He assumed she was using her hands, "Ahh, that's nice. A little to the left…" He moaned.

Annie only rammed harder into his shoulder blade. It was quite amusing.

As she did this, Annie continued to stare down Armin's dress. It made the experience a little more pleasurable than it would have been otherwise.

In school, Annie had a strange selection of men she considered 'attractive'. Most would assume that she would be interested in the rough vicious type, like herself, but Annie's standards were a bit different. The group of rejects she usually hung out with never understood it. When they asked her why, she couldn't explain. She had always liked the kind-hearted sensitive type. It was even better when they were small and fragile. Perhaps she was just a narcissist.

Armin began to walk away.

"Wait," Annie shouted, "Stay here. I might need you for something."

"Oh, okay." He stayed without consideration as to what she was actually doing.

Then Armin moved his hands up to his chest in a classic 'shy boy' manner, but he was blocking the view.

"Stop twiddling your fingers, you're distracting me." Annie commanded.

"Sorry!" Armin put his hands at his sides.

Annie continued playing 'masseuse' for thirty minutes, but didn't mind since she had her own private view below her.

"Ahh, that was nice. I like this place." The man bellowed and adjusted his chair to the correct spot.

The two workers prayed that he was finally done and ready to go home.

No. He had many requests. After his massage he wanted to play cards with Annie, he had even brought his own deck with him. When Annie started to lose, Armin leaned over and offered to help her, but she refused. In turn, she lost, but only because she wasn't a strategist like Armin. Lastly, he wanted his picture taken with Annie, and Armin was welcome to join too. The picture looked very interesting; a happy-looking strongman, a worried-looking cross-dressing maid, and a very wreaked-looking Annie. Her hair pins had fallen out, no longer forming a bun. It was the same length as Armin's, except a bit lighter and without bangs. In the picture they looked like twins.

'I'm never doing this again…' Annie thought, as the camera snapped.


	7. Chapter 7

The two had worked overtime in order to accommodate their star customer. However, they received a large check, and a very generous tip at the end.

"At least he pays well," Annie stated tiredly as she hauled herself out the door.

The two walked together in the dark. It was night time and everyone was off work. Annie hoped that Armin would let her stay again, but she doubted it after what happened last night. She wasn't sure where she could go next. She didn't have any friends that would be willing to let her stay. She was the lone wolf after all.

Annie began walking away from Armin. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Wait! Annie, where are you going?" Armin shouted at her.

Annie shrugged. "I don't know."

"It's dangerous to walk around in the city at night and…where will you go? Did you find a new place to stay?"

Annie shook her head. "No."

Armin ran over to where she was and took her hand. The girl jerked at the sudden movement and tried to pull away, but his grip was firm. "Then come on! We have to get home quickly or Eren will worry. You still want to stay with us, right?"

Annie nodded, looking down at her trapped hand with uncertainty. She was surprised by his words, but didn't complain. Maybe he had forgiven, forgotten or just didn't care about what happened that morning. As they walked home, Armin continued to hold onto Annie's hand. She liked the feeling, it was warm. His hand was delicate, like hers. Her co-worker smiled and dragged her home.

Armin made sure as he was walking home and that he didn't lose track of Annie. Holding her hand, he hoped she didn't mind. She was tiny, yet strong. Armin knew this. He admired her fighting skills, but he was also aware of his own. None. He was a weakling, so Armin never revealed his true feelings to Annie.

Armin fumbled with the lock and finally opened the door to his apartment. He looked around unsurely, noticing the silent emptiness. "Eren," he called, "Are you home?"

"Well, FINALLY!" Eren called from the bathroom. "Were you held up? Did you get hit by a car? Come on! You've been coming home late twice now! This new job must be stressful." Eren walked out of the bathroom to greet his friend.

"I'm sorry, Eren. It's just that today was a very long day."

"That's okay, Armin. Hey, guess what? Mikasa called today! She said she wanted to come over. I was hoping that you'd be home earlier so I could tell you, but you were late, so…she's here!" he said cheerfully, gesturing to the bathroom door. Mikasa walked out of the bathroom that Eren was just in, heaven knew what they were doing in there.

The minute Mikasa saw Annie, she turned cold, backing away. "Eren, you only told me that Armin was going to be here…"

Eren turned around and rubbed the back of his head. "Oh, yeeeaaaah…I forgot to mention that. Yeah, Annie's staying with us too. It's only been a day, so I forgot."

Annie and Mikasa locked eyes. You could almost touch the tension in the room and it was only getting bigger. Mikasa's worst fear was if Annie had been staying in Eren's room, but it was only a thought. She hoped it wasn't true, but the idea of Annie even staying in her brother's apartment was still just as horrifying.

Armin looked around. "Wow, with four people staying, it's going to be a little cramped…"

"Exactly what I was thinking, Armin." Eren spoke up, "So, I propose that we all sleep together tonight! In a huge pile! In my bedroom!"

"No. That's a terrible idea." Annie rejected.

"For once you're right, Annie." said Mikasa. "We've lost track of our values, haven't we?"

"Well," Armin started, "It's only a two-bedroom apartment, so someone can sleep on the couch, and then the other person…"

"Can sleep in MY room!" Eren interrupted.

Mikasa shot Annie a glare. Annie assumed at this point, the couch was all hers. Nobody would want to sleep with her.

"Good night, everyone." Annie walked towards the couch. Mikasa was satisfied.

"W-Wait!" Eren pleaded. "Nobody said YOU had to sleep on the couch!"

"What's that supposed to mean, Eren?" Mikasa stared at her brother. The mood was very awkward. Everyone knew that Eren and Mikasa weren't really blood related, but sometimes Mikasa took it a little too far.

"W-We should find a way to make a bed so there's no fighting." Armin pleaded.

"I'm okay. I can sleep on the couch. Mikasa can sleep with her brother. I don't care." Annie flopped down on the couch, ready to go to sleep. She wasn't prepared to be crossing Mikasa, and for the record, she didn't want to sleep with Eren, ever.

Armin walked over to the couch. "Annie," he whispered, "If you really don't want to stay on the couch, we can always work something out."

Annie sat up and gently stroked Armin's cheek. Armin's face turned red again. His eyes got wide and his breathing quickened with his heartbeat.

Annie lowered her voice. "It's alright, Armin. I'll be fine."

"Okay," he whispered, still blushing from ear to ear.

Mikasa stared at the two with curiosity. She wasn't worried about Annie, although she hoped that she would move out soon. She was more worried about Armin, but at least she wouldn't be in Eren's room. Mikasa would make sure Annie never went in.

Eren huffed and crossed his arms. "I guess that means I'll be staying with Mikasa."

He began walking towards his room with his sister. They could be heard engaging in conversation down the hallway. However, the blonds couldn't make out what they were saying.

"Eren," Mikasa said, "Why are you so nice to her?"

"Nice to who?"

"Annie."

Eren shrugged, "Well, she's got no place to stay, nowhere to go. What do you want me to do? Throw her out on the streets?"

"Yes."

"Mikasa!"

When the door shut, and the only thing heard were incoherent mumbles. Armin and Annie stood still, unsure of what to do next.

"Goodnight, Annie." Armin smiled and went to his room.

Annie stayed on the couch for several minutes. She was waiting for Eren and Mikasa to fall asleep. She didn't want to wake them. When they did, she would do what she wanted.


	8. Chapter 8

Special thanks to my sister (rinissessy) for helping me with this chapter!

* * *

Armin was almost asleep when he heard something. It felt like somebody was in his room. The room was totally dark, and Armin couldn't see anything. He sat up, feeling very frightened. "W-Who's there?" he cried.

'I-If it's a burglar, I won't be able to defend myself!' Armin covered his face with the sheets. He wished Eren were here to help him.

"Armin, it's me. Annie."

Armin moved the sheets away from his face. He saw an Annie-like silhouette at the foot of his bed. "Annie! It's only you. I thought you were a burglar and you wanted to hurt me."

"No," Annie shook her head, "And besides, burglars don't hit on apartments, Armin."

The moon was shining from the window, showing Annie his face, but he couldn't see her's.

"Annie, don't you want to sleep on the couch anymore?" Armin asked.

"No."

"Oh, well…um," Armin mumbled, "There's really no other place except the floor. No…you don't want to sleep there…"

Annie sighed. Armin was an intellectually smart boy, but sometimes when it came to other more sociable things, he was a bit clueless.

Annie moved over towards the side of Armin's bed and climbed in.

Armin started to panic, "W-Wait! Annie, what are you doing?!"

"Armin, look." Annie pulled something out from her hood's pocket, "I wanted to share this with you."

It was a large bar of chocolate.

Armin gazed at the perfectly wrapped dessert. He hadn't been able to afford such delicacies in a long time.

"Wow! Where did you get that?"

"I bought it a while ago with the money I've been earning. It was kind of a splurge, but I wanted to share it with you anyway." Annie carefully unwrapped the bar and broke off a small piece. Armin watched her intensely. She held the piece of chocolate near Armin's face and commanded, "Open up."

Armin opened his mouth as Annie slid the chocolate in, allowing the boy to bite off a small piece.

"It's delicious!" Armin cheered, enjoying his treat.

Annie broke off a piece for herself and ate as well, "Hmm, I hoped it would taste better than this." she commented.

"No! I think it's really good. Can I have another one, please?"

Annie placed a small amount of chocolate in her mouth. She reached up and grabbed the back of Armin's head. Pulling him forward, Annie caressed her lips against Armin's, brushing her tongue along his bottom lip so he would open his mouth.

Armin gasped, moaning in surprise.

When Annie felt Armin part his lips, she slipped the piece of chocolate that she had been saving into his mouth.

Armin felt the warm chocolate slide onto his tongue. It tasted even more amazing than the first piece. He pulled himself away from Annie's face and stared at her with shock.

"W-W-Why did you do that to me?" he asked, his voice in a low whisper.

"You asked for some more chocolate, so I gave you some."

Armin could see Annie's face more clearly now that she had moved. Her eyes burned with fiery lust, and it didn't take a genius to notice the way she was looking at him.

"Annie, please don't stare at me like that. We're barely close friends…" Armin covered his face.

Annie scooted closer to him, "But I want to be close friends." Annie slung her arms around his waist, pulling him closer. Now their hips were touching.

Armin had gotten used to random stares and whistles from others, especially since working at the cafe. It bothered him a lot at first, but after a while he just learned to ignore it. Somewhere in the back of his mind, a voice told him that he would never have a girlfriend. He was too weak, scrawny, feminine, ugly, whatever…and the many cat-calls didn't help either.

It was a very sad thought, but he accepted it.

Annie was the first girl that had looked at him in that way. Part of him wanted to shout for joy and love her back because he never thought that any girl would want him, but another part of him was frightened because her leaving him would be terrible. Annie was unpredictable. They were also polar opposites. Would they even get along?

Annie placed a piece of chocolate on Armin's shoulder. Armin held still as Annie leaned over and ate the candy right off of him. She was playing with him.

"The chocolate starts to taste better when it's a game," she said, "Armin, let's play a game."

"Okay," Armin said, hesitantly.

"You have to eat the chocolate off of the other person, but you can't let it spill or you'll lose."

"Okay."

Annie pulled off the sweater she was wearing, revealing her t-shirt, but she began to remove that as well. Armin stared at her with wonder. Various thoughts and feelings began to form in his mind, and he couldn't banish them. She was being very forward with him. At the moment, Armin couldn't resist. He had never seen anyone topless before -besides Eren.

Annie placed a bit of chocolate on her cleavage, "Try this." she commanded.

Obeying her, Armin leaned his face down towards Annie's chest and licked the space between her breasts, carrying the chocolate into his mouth. There was a terrible pain in his crotch that seemed to come out of nowhere. His head throbbed with excitement. He couldn't keep his hands from touching Annie's waist. She was as thin as he was, but more developed as a woman, of course.

Annie didn't mind. She even hugged him back, bringing him closer to her. Armin was lying on top of Annie, his arms around her waist and his face in her chest. Annie held him close to her and stroked his hair. She kissed his forehead, lovingly.

"I've always had a thing for you, Armin, even in school." she whispered.

Armin's eyes widened. "Really?" He gasped and looked up at her.

"Yes. I'd sneak into the library during class because I knew you'd be there. You were always near the back with your nose stuck in your favorite book. It was the only time of day when I could look at you without being caught. Every other time I tried, you were too smart for me."

Armin smiled. "Your habits haven't changed, though. You still like to look at me. Like today during work, you were looking down my dress."

Annie stopped, her breath taken away from her.

'H-He knew, this whole time…No, of course he knew. He's Armin!'

Armin laughed quietly. "It's alright. When you told me to stay and move my hands, I knew for sure what you were up to. Your library story confirmed my assumption."

Annie huffed. Was she really that revealing?

Armin leaned forward and kissed Annie. He wanted to know what it was like to kiss a girl and, since he figured he never would again, he went for it. Thankfully, she kissed him back. For Armin, it was like a fantasy.

He pulled back and grinned, his face very red.

"What?" Annie questioned, "Don't tell me you've never kissed a girl before."

Armin shook his head.

Annie was disappointed. "You've got to be kidding me, Armin. How does a guy like you never have a girlfriend for all four freaking years of high school?"

Armin rubbed the back of his neck, shrugging. "I guess I never…just…I was too shy."

"You're still like that." Annie rolled her eyes. "You need to get out of this rut."

Armin slouched, still sitting on Annie.

"Listen to me, right now, Armin." Annie stared at him. "You're cute. You're hot. You're sexy. You're the nicest person I know, and also the smartest. You're really, really smart. Now, you're going to take everything I've just said about you, believe it, and live it. Got it?"*

Armin smiled, blushing ferociously. "Thank you, Annie. No one's ever said anything like that to me." He started to twiddle his fingers shyly. "But, I thought you were always the most beautiful girl in school, even more than Krista, but she was pretty too. Not like you, though."

Annie thought for a moment. She remembered Krista. It was a shame that she turned out to be a lesbian because all the boys had a crush on her. Too bad for them, she ended up with some other chick. What was her name…?

Armin snapped Annie away from her thoughts, "You were so popular," he said. "You, Reiner and Bertholdt were all so cool. I could never be like that."

Annie shrugged, "Being popular in high school does nothing for you in the future. Look at me now. I'm homeless, working at this maid cafe, living with you and Eren-"

"You don't like it here?" Armin responded to her last comment.

After realizing what she had just said, she immediately felt bad. "No, no, it's not like that. You guys are great. It's just that I hate feeling reliant on others, that's all."

There was a long silence. Annie realized that she was still holding a half-eaten chocolate bar in her hand, and it was beginning to melt. The dark substance slowly dripped down her hand and onto the bed sheets.

"Oops," she whispered, staring down at the mess, "I'll get some towels or something. I'll be right back." After Armin climbed off of her, Annie pulled herself out of the bed. She crept across the bedroom and slipped through the door, making sure not to cause any sort of noise or disturbance.

She walked quietly through the hallway, heading towards the kitchen. Thinking she heard someone else creeping through the house, she looked behind her. However, the blonde didn't see anyone, so she banished the thought. When Annie finally made it to the kitchen, she began searching for a cloth of some sort. She didn't see any, but she had an idea.

Annie attempted to open the fridge as quietly as possible, but in the middle of the night, opening a fridge sounded like a bomb exploding. She cringed at the sound and hoped that no one heard her. Annie reached in and grabbed a carton of milk. After all of that chocolate, Armin would want something to wash it down.

Armin waited patiently for Annie. He was happy to see her when she got back. "Hello Annie! Um...where's the towel?" He only saw her holding the still-melting chocolate and the milk that Eren had bought last week.

"I thought you might be thirsty, so I brought this instead." She grinned and hopped into the bed, opening the milk.

Armin was more comfortable around Annie now. He knew how she felt and that gave him confidence. He grabbed the carton that Annie handed him and took a gulp. He handed it to Annie and she took a sip. A moment later she poured some onto her neck so it ran down her body.

"Ah, I've spilled some. Come clean me up." she said and grabbed Armin's shoulders, smirking.

She pulled him closer until his face was in front of her neck. Armin's heart was beating so fast, it felt like it was going to burst right out of his chest! He was scared, but he wanted to please Annie, so he slowly started licking her neck like a kitten. He licked her breasts and her stomach where the milk had drizzled down.

Her body was warm, making Armin rest his head against it.

"Help me take the rest of my clothes off." Annie commanded.

Armin reached behind Annie's back and unhooked the closure that connected her bra straps. Annie had pretty underclothes, but they needed to go.

While Armin was busy, Annie pulled the shorts that she had been wearing off. They were tiny, which made for an uncomfortable undressing, but she finally got those darn things off after a while.

Annie stood up and took her underwear off, scaring Armin even more and making him flinch.

"Ah! Annie, what are you doing?!" he shrieked.

Annie rolled her eyes. "Shut it, will you! Do you wanna wake the others?" she growled, sitting back down.

Of course, Annie was completely naked now, so Armin had trouble looking at her.

Annie sensed his hesitation. With the last of the milk, Annie lifted the carton and poured it all over Armin's blond head. The boy gasped as he felt the cold liquid touch his skin. He looked at Annie, shock written all over his face. The white drink covered his entire head and drizzled down his face. It formed a dripping mask around his eyes.

Darn, he looked so cute, but too bad he was angry.

Annie leaned over and licked Armin's cheek. "Mmm," she hummed, "Warm milk…"

It was getting really hot.

Armin began unbuttoning his shirt. Annie caught on immediately to what he was doing and began helping him unzip his pants.

It was easier to undress Armin, so it went faster than Annie's case. And now, the two were stark naked and sitting alone in a dark room covered in chocolate and milk.

Armin, covered in shame, hid his face. If Annie didn't know any better, she would have said he was crying.

She leaned forward and whispered in his ear. "What's the matter?"

"I'm sorry, Annie. I'm not very attractive, am I?"

Annie lowered her voice. "Armin, I just told you that-"

"I know, but…you've never seen me like this before. When you told me I was cute, you were talking about my face, weren't you? I'm sorry, Annie. I can put my clothes back on if you want."

Annie looked at Armin's body.

Yes, he was very scrawny. There was hardly a muscle to be seen. But Annie had never been interested in that sort of thing anyway. Muscles were for Reiner and Bertholdt. Annie stopped Armin from putting his clothes back on, gripping his arm.

"I'm still in the mood, you know." she cooed. Annie pulled on Armin's waist, leading him to the front end of the bed. Annie sat herself on Armin's lap and began to bounce. "I'll give you a lap dance."

Armin shut his eyes and smiled. She wasn't being too rough with him, so for Armin, it was enjoyable, although Annie could have been a bit more ruthless if she chose.

Annie kissed Armin again, opening his mouth with her tongue. She had some more chocolate for him, this one a bit more melted than the last though. The once solid bar was now a pile of melting dark liquid all over the bed sheets and Annie's hands.

Armin slightly opened his eyes. Annie's were closed and at the moment, she was preoccupied. She had traveled from Armin's lips to his cheeks and all the way down his neck. Her arms were locked around his shoulders in such a possessive way that the boy was sure she wasn't about to let him go. Annie sucked and licked at a vein near the edge of Armin's neck. It hurt at first, but soon, the pain became pleasure and Annie left her mark of love on the boy.

While she was distracted, Armin couldn't help but stare at Annie's chest. For being a small thin girl, her femininity was quite voluminous. Armin reached out with his finger and slightly stroked one of Annie's soft, delicate pink nipples. Annie felt the slight contact and involuntarily flinched. Armin jumped back, "I-I'm sorry," he pleaded, "I didn't ask first."

"That's alright. I've been taking over anyway." she confessed.

It was Armin's turn.

He asked politely. "Annie, are you planning on sleeping with me tonight?" He had a hopeful look in his eyes.

"Yes." she answered bluntly.

Armin appeared excited. He slid out from underneath Annie and beneath his covers. He pulled a section of the sheets out and invited Annie to come lay next to him.

"You must be cold," he commented, "It's November."

Annie gratefully took her spot and lay next to him. Armin covered her shaking body with the sheets and curled up in her warmth. "Armin," Annie whispered, "Your birthday is coming up very soon. Would you like something?"

Armin gasped. He didn't expect her to remember that. It was in two days.

"Um, thank you, Annie. The chocolate was fine. You don't have to get me anything."

"But I want to. That's what friends are for."

Armin smiled, "But you being my friend is the best birthday present ever." He held Annie close to him in hopes that she wouldn't shiver. Annie held Armin and continued to kiss him until they were both so tired that they fell asleep in each other's arms.

"I love you Annie."

"I love you too, Armin."

Outside, Mikasa stared blankly into the darkness. Did she just see Annie walk into Armin's room? After a slight 'argument' with her brother, the brunette had left to find a snack in the kitchen. Eren always had a stash somewhere. A few minutes later, she saw Annie get off of the couch…and walk into Armin's bedroom. She watched. After another few minutes, Annie came out again, except this time she didn't have her top on and her bra was all exposed with her boobs falling out and everything. Then she stole something from the fridge and ran back in.

Annie went in dressed…and came out half naked…?

She would discuss this with Eren in the morning.


	9. Chapter 9

I really want to keep this story T rated. I know the last chapter was a bit "suggestive", but they never actually... you know. It was basically just foreplay. If anyone has a problem with the rating, just let me know and I'll consider changing it. But I would rather keep it T if it's not bothering anyone.

* * *

Mikasa watched Eren calmly eat his breakfast. He had been much more flamboyant and stressed in school, but with age and maturity, he had calmed down a bit, much to everyone's relief. At the moment, Mikasa was waiting for Armin and Annie to emerge. She wanted to reveal her suspicions, ultimately crushing Annie and possibly bringing herself closer to Eren. Perhaps Eren would even see Annie as a threat, and then he would confide in his sister because she saved him. However, Annie and Armin were taking a very long time to come out…

"What's wrong, Mikasa? You've been tapping your spoon for several minutes now and it's starting to get annoying." Eren commented.

"I'm fine. Please don't worry about me, Eren." she responded.

Finally, the two bedhead blonds emerged from the hallway. Annie yawned and slumped down at the breakfast table, too tired and uninterested in anything to suspect that Mikasa was up to something. She was and definitely not looking forward to another day at work. Armin was tired too, but Mikasa was the last thing on his mind after what happened last night.

Mikasa found her window. "AnnieandArminarehavingsex." she said very quickly and without any breaks.

Eren gagged on the milk he had been drinking. He started to choke, unable to breathe. Milk went down his throat, and then up his nose. He fell backwards out of his chair and hit his head on the floor very hard, milk spewing out of his nose.

"Eren!" Armin shrieked, but Mikasa was already on the floor helping her brother up.

Annie flinched and kept her gaze low. On the outside, she appeared calm, but on the inside, she was panicking with fear. Her heartbeat raced and pounded like a drum. In her mind, she kept asking herself, 'How in the world does Mikasa know?!'

"ARMIN!" Eren's voice shot through the air along with his hand, which was reaching for something other than Mikasa to grab. After being helped up and no longer dying from milk exposure, he stated, "Let me ask you a question."

"Y-Yes, Eren?"

"How is it, that a guy like you can bring home a girl like Annie and get her into bed with you WHILE I'M STUCK WITH MY YANDERE SISTER?!"

That was definitely offensive to Mikasa. Suddenly, Annie found the situation quite amusing. She had to work hard to contain her laughter, something she hadn't done in a very long time, if ever. Mikasa was very much a yandere.

"I came and visit you to see if you're okay, and this is the thanks I get?" Mikasa stared at Eren with evil eyes.

The room heated up quickly. The brunet didn't even have time to react or defend himself in response to Mikasa's accusation. Along with Eren choking and Mikasa getting defensive, the matters at hand changed dramatically.

"I always knew you had feelings for her." Mikasa continued to accuse Eren, "You always wanted to hang out with her after school instead of me. Studying with Annie, training with Annie, doing whatever with Annie! It was always the same! You were always running off doing something else and leaving Armin and I to fend for ourselves!"

She was all up in his face.

Armin and Annie watched helplessly in the background, somewhat grateful that their own story had been tossed aside.

"We should get to work, or we'll be late." Armin whispered to Annie, careful not to speak over the bickering siblings.

Annie nodded and started to grab her things, prepared to head out the door. Armin followed and the two quickly slipped out the door, ignoring the remains of the conversation. Eren and Mikasa could be heard fighting as Armin and Annie fled down the street and towards the Maid Cafe.


	10. Chapter 10

Rumors had been spreading around that the local maid cafe had a male dressed up and working as a female maid. However, those who came just to look ended up leaving in assumption that the rumors were false due to the fact that Armin pulled off the look quite nicely. There was simply no one who could believe a short blond male with a baby-face that wore pink dresses existed.

However, after the male-maid rumors had been cleared, new ones popped up. Soon, rumors of two 'lesbians' working in the local maid cafe sprung. This was due to the fact that many of the customers witnessed Annie casually staring and flirting with Armin. During work hours, she would occasionally give him hugs, squeezing and holding him for just a second too long. Eyes would widen.

Armin carefully set down a tray of cakes and coffee at a nearby table, wary of spilling the food. But his motor skills weren't his strong point, so it was inevitable that he tripped over his own feet while trying to work simply to prove that. Annie stared from behind, admiring the way Armin leaned forward when setting the tray down, revealing the back of his legs. Armin certainly didn't know how to lower himself when wearing a dress. Annie knew better, but she wouldn't admit it.

She let a small smile slip as one of the ruffles underneath the boy's dress flipped up, revealing more than just his legs.

So Armin didn't wear underwear with his uniform, huh. I suppose he couldn't anyway.

Thankfully, no other customer saw.

Annie walked over to Armin and tapped him on the shoulder. She might as well tell him how to bend over properly. It was bound to happen again.

"Armin." she said.

Armin flinched and sprang forward, surprised and unprepared for someone to be touching him, "W-What?" he cried. Suddenly the tray of food slipped away from Armin's fingers and fell on the floor, landing with a crash and a big mess.

"AHH!" Armin shouted, staring at the floor, "I-I'm so, so sorry," he pleaded with the customer, who was still sitting at the table.

Armin leaned forward once again in an attempt to clean up the mess.

Annie sighed, somewhat internally admitting that this was all her fault.

"Armin, let me help you with that."

Armin, still awkwardly leaning forward, accidentally slipped on the discarded remains of the cake and fell forward, his face in the rest of the cake that had not been slipped on.

The sly piece cake was flung in Annie's direction, causing her to slip and collide with Armin. Annie cursed as she felt herself loose her balance and in the worst possible direction. That day, poor little Armin was squished between cake, floor and Annie.

The nearby customer only laughed.

"You two are so cute! Little maid lovers working together and having accidents!"

Annie heard that, thinking for a moment if that particular customer was a bit deranged.

But at the moment, she was more concerned about Armin.

Annie grabbed Armin's hand and attempted to hoist him up. Armin took it and tried to use whatever strength he had to lift himself up. Unfortunately, Armin didn't have that needed strength and he only fell back down again with Annie. It wasn't easy to stand on spilt coffee and cake.

This time, Annie's knee rammed into his leg.

"Ouch!" he squealed.

"I'm sorry, Armin." Annie pleaded, reaching over and clutching his face into her arms, pulling him into a half-hug.

Various 'awww' sounds came from distant areas of the cafe. Annie ignored them.

At this point, the floor had been wiped with Armin's dress, so getting up was easier. Annie lifted him while hanging onto the table for support. She almost wanted to spit 'Armin, you clumsy fool,' but she didn't, knowing it would hurt his feelings.

Lucky for him, he had other non-physical talents that kept him useful.

Annie stared at Armin's dress with dissatisfaction. He had completely ruined it -again. This wasn't the first time his lack of grace had gotten the best of him.

She sighed, motioning to the messy floor. "Armin, go into the back and change. I'll take care of this."

"Okay, thank you, Annie." he half-whispered and dashed off.

Annie leaned down (properly) and began to scrub the grimy area. It wasn't too hard. It was only cake and coffee, nothing sticky or troublesome like caramel. At some point, she felt the ever so patient customer peering down at her with amusement.

Annie slowly glanced upwards, "Do you mind?" she said, coldly.

He only laughed, unaffected by her dagger-like words, "Oh, not at all! I only came because I heard that lately there had been quite a lot of excitement going on around here."

"Hmm," Annie only mumbled, half-agreeing with him. She continued to scrub. He would get no excitement from her.

"That other maid though," he continued to speak, "There's something about her, but I just can't put my finger on it."

Annie froze.

The customer shot a finger in the air. "Aha! Low sensory issues. That's why she's so clumsy. She needs to see a doctor and have her nervous system checked out! Poor doll..."

Annie rolled her eyes. For a moment, she thought he was onto something.

"Yup, it kills us all. Have a nice night, Sir…" She finished cleaning and dismissed him.

Annie found Armin in the kitchen. He was wearing his normal clothes.

"Ah! Annie, I went to change, but then I saw the time. Our shift is over. Time to go home!"

"Well, finally." she complained, ripping her apron off. "I'll meet you outside, Armin. Just let me get my things first."

"Okay," he responded, and waited.

As they were walking, Armin noticed that the nights were getting colder and darker. Winter was almost upon them. Then he also remembered something else. He wanted to tell Annie, but he wasn't sure if she would find it interesting.

"Um, Annie."

"Hmm," she responded, fumbling with something in her pocket.

"I have good news. Well, good for me, at least. Um…I got a scholarship for a university. Apparently, they liked my performances in school. They want me to go to their university so that they can interview me for enrollment." he said the last part with greater enthusiasm than the first.

"Good for you." Annie responded, her voice a bit less sarcastic than it normally was.

"T-The problem is that it's really far away, and I'll have to move out of Eren's place in order to attend."

"How far?"

Armin gulped and scratched the back of his neck. "About 200 miles, more or less."

Annie stared off into space, popping the gum she was chewing from the bubble it was into a shrivel. The noise echoed through the night, creating a dense atmosphere.

"Okay, so…when do you plan on moving out?" she asked bluntly, but Armin could tell that she was worried about something.

"Very soon. I have the money and I want to go to school, but…" He stopped.

"But?" Annie looked up at him and raised her eyebrow.

Armin wondered if it would be appropriate for Annie to stay in Eren's apartment while he was away. Even though Mikasa was there, perhaps it would be alright -if they ever got along. Armin pondered this while Annie waited for his response. After quite some time, she assumed he simply didn't want to finish his sentence, so she let it slide with a shrug of her shoulders. She concealed the roaring feelings of sadness and despair sliding through her veins. The blonde wanted Armin to stay by her side forever. Armin wished for the same.

Meanwhile, at home, Eren and Mikasa were making up after their fight.

"Mikasa, I don't hate you. I'm sorry I shouted." Eren confessed.

"…Okay. I accept your apology. But, I'm still going to watch out for you because you know you wouldn't last a day without me."

_More like the other way around_…Eren thought.

Mikasa walked over to the table Eren was sitting next to and threw a small object in his direction. It slid across the table and stopped in front of him. It looked like a small man's wallet.

"What's this?" Eren questioned.

"Pictures," Mikasa said, "Of Sasha and Connie's wedding. I thought I'd show them to you since you or Armin didn't come."

"Did you go?"

"Of course. Take a look at them. The cake was extravagant."

Eren opened up the small wallet, pulling a stack of pictures out. There was one of Sasha's dress, along with Connie in a Tux. They both looked very happy together.

Suddenly, Armin and Annie came bursting through the front door.

"We're home!" Armin shouted.

Eren looked up from what he was doing. "Armin! Come look at these pictures!"

"Oh?"

Armin walked over to Eren. The brunet held up one of the pictures to his friend's face. It was a shot of Connie feeding Sasha a piece of their wedding cake.

"These photos are wonderful, Eren!" Armin gasped and took the others, looking at each of them one by one.

Annie walked over to where Armin was and leaned over his shoulder, studying the photos.

"So, they're together now, huh? Didn't see that one coming." Annie said sarcastically. She then walked away and proceeded to lie on the couch, relaxing in the soft pillows.

"You know, Armin. You should consider settling down. I mean, I could give you some pointers if you want." Eren nudged his friend.

"Since when were you good at things like that, Eren?"

"Hey! I had more girlfriends in High School than you did! Mr. Forever Single!"

"You had one, Eren."

The two continued to grumble about girls until Mikasa interrupted them. "Eren, what's for dinner?" she quietly shouted in their general direction.

Eren looked up. "Huh? I don't know. Pancakes?"

"That's not dinner, Eren. That's breakfast."

"Well, too bad. Because it's all I know how to make."

Mikasa sighed. He probably didn't even make them as good as their mother used to.

Eren shrugged. "It's either that, or instant ramen."

They went with the ramen.


	11. Chapter 11

Business was amazing at the local Maid Cafe.

Dozens of customers flocked to see what they assumed was either a male crossdresser, or a pair of lovebird girls in maid's uniforms. It was fabulous.

Lately, Annie was having trouble keeping her hands off of Armin. At first she didn't notice, but soon afterwards discovered that her affection was becoming public, so she stopped. This angered their manager.

"Hug. Kiss. Do _something_! I don't care. It's making me more money and the public likes it. Heck, I should have hired a male maid a long time ago!"

Annie was disgusted.

Love and money were two totally different things.

Armin became a bit embarrassed. He loved Annie, and didn't mind if she wanted to hug or kiss him, but he would never force her to do anything she didn't want.

"Go out and please those customers!" The manager boomed, "Make me some money! Make a lot and do it fast! Do it by _any means necessary_! Understand?!"

"Yes sir." Annie saluted, sarcastically.

Armin gave her a worried look.

Annie carefully carried a tray of ice cream out to a customer. Armin followed her, carrying another tray. Many different pairs of eyes stared at the two. The main lobby was much fuller than usual.

Annie set the tray down, "Here you go. Will that be all?"

"Kiss your girlfriend!"

"Excuse me?" Annie look up from her notepad.

The customer was not a pervert, nor wasn't even male. She was a cute schoolgirl with a group of friends, all girls themselves. They all had adorable sailor uniforms on, and their faces displayed wide eyes and grins, waiting for Annie.

"You love the other one right? Everyone says you do. Kiss and seal your true love!" The girls squealed and held their fists together in harmony. They were certainly a giggly bunch.

Annie sighed, "I don't feel comfortable doing that sweetie." She said as nicely as possible.

The girls whined, "Awww, why not? You don't love her anymore?"

"N-no, it's not that. Besides… she's a he…"

The girls interrupted, "Then kiss! If you love her then kiss!"

"Kiss!"

"Kiss!"

"Kiss!"

They began ranting.

Armin heard the commotion from where he was standing. He looked at Annie, a blush forming on his face. If she didn't mind then he wouldn't, although it appeared as if she did mind.

"Annie I... "

"Armin," Annie spun around to face him, "Shut up and kiss me."

The two locked lips in the middle of the cafe.

Suddenly a roaring cheer came from the schoolgirl table, followed by squeals and tears. Others in the cafe clapped their hands.

Armin sighed as Annie pulled away from him and wondered if he could somehow focus on his work for the rest of the day.

Annie stomped back into the kitchen all red in the face and not willing to come out. Armin quickly followed after her in hopes to calm her down.

"Annie!" He pleaded, "Please come back!"

Suddenly he stopped. Annie was standing in the corner of the kitchen with her hands over her face; she wasn't moving.

"Annie, are you crying?' Armin asked, whispering.

"No," she shook her head, her voice shaking too. She kept covering her face.

"If it's about what happened back there, I can tell those girls-!"

"It's not that, Armin." Annie interrupted.

Armin placed his hand on her shoulder for comfort, "Then what?" He asked.

Then something very strange happened; Annie began to laugh. It wasn't very loud, in fact it was more of a giggle, but she was definitely laughing. Although Armin doubted she was happy.

"I'm such a weak girl," She stated.

Armin gasped, "N-no you're not! Annie, are you kidding me? You-!"

"Yes I am! I can't do anything by myself anymore. I have no home. I have a crappy job that barely pays for anything and there's nothing left over. I don't own anything. Even the furniture in my old home belonged to Reiner and Bertholdt."

Armin held her close and listened.

"When I was evicted, they took it back. But when I asked if I could stay with them, they said 'no'. I guess they were tired of me."

Armin stroked her hair, "Annie, when you were in school, what did you want to do after you graduated?"

Annie shook her head, "I wasn't sure if I even wanted to go to college. I don't know what I want to do with my life. I don't even know what I'm doing with it now."

Armin was silent. He knew what he wanted to say to her, but he wasn't sure if it was the appropriate time. He didn't want to frighten her, or make her angry.

"Maybe I should just go back and live with my dad," Annie sniffed.

"No! No!" Armin pleaded, "Don't do that! Besides, you're a grown woman now. I would marry you and keep you forever so that you could have a home, but-!" Suddenly Armin covered his mouth, with realization as to what he just said, "I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought that up so quickly... " He whispered.

Armin figured he was done for.

Thankfully, Annie didn't react much to his statement. Mostly because she knew that if she wasn't watching herself, she might have blurted out something similar.

"But, that would mean you'd still be relying on someone." Ironically, Armin finished his statement.

"No." Annie responded, "If their's something my father taught me besides fighting, it's that wives don't solely rely on their husbands. The husband and wife are supposed to rely on each other, ideally. At least that's what I've heard."

Armin smiled. Somehow his mishap had turned into something better.

"Their's an African saying that says, 'the man is the head and the woman is the neck, but when the neck turns, so does the head'."

Armin pulled Annie closer to him and embraced her with a hug. Annie held him back, and for a moment the kitchen was absolutely silent.

Armin and Annie returned home with a much better feeling than last time. The growing painful pit in Annie's stomach had vanished since Armin had revealed his feelings about living together. She wouldn't have to say goodbye to him, possibly forever, and that released a giant burden off of her shoulders. She felt safe, and for once happy, knowing that she would have a companion. Armin felt the same. Without her, he would worry for her safety, and after seeing how much she had matured since high school (no longer starting fights or having meltdowns), he was pleased and he couldn't get her out of his brain.

Armin wiggled the keys inside of the lock, dropping the keys once and having to pick them back up again. He was more nervous than usual due to the fact that he had news for Eren.

Once inside, the two noticed that it was quieter than usual. Eren wasn't running around the apartment in his underwear and making all kinds of noise. And Mikasa was nowhere to be seen.

"Eren?" Armin called, and then suddenly he saw him.

Eren was asleep on the couch, but Armin's voice had startled him.

"What? What? What?" Eren jolted up, half dazed. He blinked a few times and peered up at Armin and Annie.

"Oh, hello you two." He smiled and slid up from his cozy spot.

"Eren, why weren't you asleep in your bed?" Armin asked.

Eren snorted, "Because Mikasa is in there and she took my bed! She's taking a nap too." He didn't sound too happy with Mikasa's decision.

Armin changed the subject, "Eren I want to tell you something."

"What?" Eren casually asked, walking towards the fridge and grabbing some cheese to munch on. He shoved it into his mouth while waiting for Armin.

"So?" Eren asked, "What's the big secret?"

Armin smiled, "Well, I've saved enough money to get my own place."

Eren almost jumped out of his skin, "That's great man! Not that I didn't enjoy your stay, but whatever, congrats!" He said through muffles of cheese.

"And there's something else."

"What?"

"Annie and I are going to be living together."

Annie nodded her head in approval; at that moment her eyes slightly sparkled, but you had to be quick to notice. Eren's eyes widened.

"Well," Eren said, raising his voice, "THAT was quick. When was this decided?"

"I want to give Annie a home." Armin said, bashfully.

"So, you're not in love?"

Suddenly Armin became flustered, "No! No! That's not it! I do love Annie," he said, hiding his redness, "I want to take care of her." He finished.

Eren looked at Annie, "And, is Annie herself ok with this?"

Annie noded in approval one more. Their need be no physical affection taking place, especially in front of Eren or Mikasa. The way that Armin and Annie now communicated showed a demonstration of deep respect, for most that was all that was needed for proof of their bond.

Soon, Mikasa emerged from her hiding place.

"I heard everything." She stated coldly.

Annie turned her face away from Mikasa. She was afraid of the kind of look she might get from her. Perhaps it was safer to just not look at all.

Suddenly a thought sprung on Eren, "Hey man, are you two planning on getting married? Can you even afford that? I mean, I know you're getting your own place so…"

Mikasa elbowed her brother in the shoulder.

"Ow!" Eren shouted and rubbed his arm, giving his sister a look, "What was THAT for?"

"Eren, don't be rude." She said in a monochrome voice.

Armin shook his head, "No, but someday when we can afford it, I would like to marry Annie." He smiled and looked towards her. "But for now, I just want to take care of her and be close to her until then."

Eren scratched his forehead "Oh, ok. That's cool."

Mikasa tapped Annie on the shoulder. Annie almost jumped slightly, staring at Mikasa and asking, "Yes?"

"Annie, come with me." Mikasa signaled towards Eren's bedroom.

Annie slowly followed Mikasa, ever so grateful that she had her pocket knife within reach in case anything should happen. Mikasa didn't appear to want to fight at the moment, although you never could tell with her emotionless background.

Eren inched forward, "Uh, Mikasa, don't do anything brash…!" He raised his voice.

"Don't worry, Eren. I just want to speak with her."

This didn't make Annie feel any better, but the two boys seemed happy with her response. Mikasa led Annie into Eren's bedroom and shut the door quietly. Annie only stood and prepared for anything. If she had to fight, then she would. But would Mikasa do something like that in front of Eren and Armin?

"Annie, I think we got off on the wrong foot." Mikasa spoke.

Annie was stunned. She didn't want to fight. She was trying to make up.

"I understand that you and Armin have something going on. I suppose it's not my business. Nevertheless, I feel as though if we were enemies, while you and Armin were close, then that would be very strange. Your partnership may even fall apart because of us."

She had a good point.

"I don't want to be friends. But, I don't want to be enemies either. Agreed?" Mikasa held out her hand.

Annie was fully aware that ever since the two met, a bitter rivalry had started. She wasn't sure if it was over Eren or something else, but whatever it was, whenever the two crossed paths they fought like cats and dogs.

They were adults now. Both of them were moving on to greater things. It was time that they settled this once and for all, like civilized human beings.

Annie reached for Mikasa's hand and gave it a shake. Mikasa gave a slight satisfied smile through the darkness.

Annie didn't consider herself "human", but she could at least pretend to be one.

Back in the living room, the two boys were having conversation of their own.

"Eren," Armin whispered, "You don't have any hard feelings towards Annie or I, right?"

Eren appeared shocked, "Of course not! Why would I?"

"Well, it's just that, I know in high school you kind of had a little crush on Annie. You liked her, and I wasn't sure how you felt now, so I was worried."

Armin tapped his pointer fingers.

Eren only laughed, "Yea, I thought she was kind of hot, I guess. But, that was a long time ago. If you dig her then I'm totally cool with that. Go for it."

"Really?" Armin beamed.

"Of course! I'm surprised that you met again, and that you want to live together. Because if I recall, Annie was one of the most popular girls in our school. I don't ever remember _you_ receiving such an achievement. Unless you count getting that 'algebra athlete' award," Eren paused, "But, that wouldn't make you cool, would it?"

Armin only laughed, "Eren, high school is over. Whatever you were then is meaningless, Annie said it herself. I'm just happy that we can be together now." He smiled, "And I'm glad you're ok with us."

"Man," Eren said, "If this is what makes you happy, then I'm happy." He gave his friend a pat on the back.

Armin sighed, relieved that he hadn't tarnished his friendship with Eren.

"After all of this is over," Eren said, "We should go see how Sasha and Connie are doing."

The next few weeks were very busy. Armin and Annie quit their jobs at the maid cafe, to the dismay of the manager. He begged them to stay because it was good for business. Armin only refused him.

"The school I want to attend isn't in this area. It would not be convenient. Besides," he said with a small giggle, "I don't think working as a maid is the profession I want to strive for." With that, Armin and Annie left the cafe for good.

Eren and Mikasa helped the two move out. Afterwards, Eren's apartment felt quite empty.

Eren sighed, "It will be so lonely without all of my old friends. Aren't you leaving soon too Mikasa?"

"Yes. My time here is finished."

"Alright then." with another sigh Eren went inside. He had a thought in his head. _Perhaps it would be good for me to start college as well._

Armin and Annie walked down the street towards their new home. They had to catch a bus in order to reach it, and Armin had the maps and route all planned out. Meanwhile, Armin was asking her questions about the future. Armin had a desire to go do more schooling and increase his education, although Annie did not. So it was decided that Armin would be the breadwinner.

"I want to major in Humanities and Sciences. It sounds interesting to me."

It sounded like a lot of boring work to Annie, but she supported him in his decision. After all, he was the one taking the class, not her.

They continued their conversation and talked about many other things too, all the way to their destination.

The maid cafe was desolate. Suddenly the manager heard a knock at the door. He stomped towards the entrance and flung the front door open, dust flying everywhere. A small dark-haired figure stood at the doorway.

He coughed, "Ugh, this place is filthy. I'd come in here and wash up before I'd expect anyone to want to eat at a grime-filled place such as this!"

"Well then," the manager proclaimed, "Why don't I hire you and you clean it up for me?"

"Deal."

"Ok then," he pulled out a notepad, "What's your name lad?"

"Heichou. Levi Heichou, and I'm _not_ a 'lad'."

**THE END**

* * *

Special thanks to Pure Red Crane for helping me beta this FanFiction!


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